A Lesson Hard Learned
by Girlie G
Summary: a one shot story about Kai learning about friendship from an unlikely source...will Kai be able to save his teammate from Boris?


Kai raced down the dark hallway of the familiar abbey. He panted as he quickened his pace. His strong jaw was set in determination and his ice cold blue eyes were void of any emotion as usual.  
  
It was a race against time. If he didn't hurry, he wouldn't be able to save him. 'Why should I care? He's just a team mate,' Kai grumbled to himself, 'I mean, he's replaceable right?' Kai's mind answered him back, 'Because it's your fault he's here in the first place.' Kai smirked, 'oh right.'  
  
The abbey was pitch black which made Kai have to watch his step and use his senses. Finally, he tired and stopped to put his hands on his knees panting harder. "Finished already?" a voice taunted from speakers on the walls.  
  
Kai quickly righted himself and donned that same cocky smirk he always wore. HE carefully wiped at his brow so as not to wipe off the dark blue triangles on his face before adjusting the scarf around his neck. "Now what fun would that be?" Kai returned.  
  
"Either way it won't be fun for your little friend here," the voice replied, a smile evident in his voice.  
  
"We'll see about that," Kai snapped before taking off down the abbey again. His sneakers pounded the concrete and he pumped his muscular arms as he picked up more speed.  
  
"Since when do worthless little traitors like YOU deserve to have friends?" the voice asked.  
  
"I DON'T have any friends," Kai returned slowing and now walking carefully along the abbey's walls.  
  
"Really," the voice laughed, "then why go to all this trouble for this boy?"  
  
"He's my teammate," Kai replied evenly, continuing along the walls.  
  
"What's that got to do with anything?" the voice inquired genuinely curious.  
  
"I need him to be able to compete," Kai replied.  
  
"Oh, is that all?" the voice sneered, "well teammates are easy to come by, why not leave him here to die and get a new one young Kai? You know that teammates are replaceable." Kai stopped walking as the voice continued, "after all. . . by the time I'm done with this one next to me, there won't be much left for competing anyways."  
  
Kai heard a foot connect with a body and a groan of pain in return. Kai winced. "You're dead Boris," he growled and began to walk faster.  
  
Boris laughed. "You've gone soft Kai," he taunted.  
  
"I have not," Kai snapped irritably as he came to a two way fork in the hallway.  
  
"Yes you have," Boris paused here then continued sounding very intrigued, "you care for this one don't you?"  
  
"He's my teammate, nothing more," Kai repeated firmly as he chose the right side.  
  
"You're lying," Boris' voice taunted.  
  
"Shut it!" Kai growled.  
  
"HAHA! You really have gone soft haven't you?" Boris laughed.  
  
"Kai made no reply as the voice continued, "You lose all of your training with these people. . .they made you human! You have friends who care about you now. . .and you care back."  
  
"I care for no one!" Kai yelled, "I DON'T have friends!"  
  
"So he's. . .just a teammate? Nothing more?" Boris inquired.  
  
"That's right," Kai replied.  
  
"So you would have gone this far for any one of us from your old team? Me? Tala? Brian?" Boris demanded.  
  
Kai was quiet for a moment. ". . .no," Kai finally answered.  
  
"NO?!" Boris exclaimed feigning surprise, "but he is 'just' a teammate no?"  
  
"Yes," Kai repeated sure of himself.  
  
"Well that's all we were to you young Kai, am I right?"  
  
"It's. . .different," Kai replied uncomfortable suddenly.  
  
"Different?" Boris questioned, "different how? Different because he's. . .your friend? What's different about your team? What makes you go to all of this trouble? What is different from your old team. . .us?"  
  
"It. . .it. just. Is." Kai seethed.  
  
"Now now Kai, that didn't answer anything. What is it Kai? Why all of this trouble only for this team? This boy? Why these people? Why not our team? What is-"  
  
"MAYBE I ACTUALLY LIKE THIS TEAM!" Kai shouted suddenly before he knew what he said.  
  
"AHA!" Boris exclaimed, "I KNEW it!"  
  
"Shit," Kai muttered.  
  
"Kai, Kai, Kai," Boris sighed, "don't you remember what you were taught about feelings?" Kai remained silent. "No?" Boris continued, "Well lemme refresh your memory with a demonstration to start out with. . ."  
  
More kicks sounded through the speakers. Grunts and groans were heard by Kai who winced and shut his eyes tightly. He clenched his teeth and balled his hands into fists in a rage. "This bothers you doesn't it Kai?" Boris taunted delivering another kick. Kai didn't answer Boris. "ANSWER ME!" Boris screamed delivering a louder sounding kick to Kai's teammate who cried out loudly.  
  
"No," Kai replied quietly.  
  
"Don't lie to me," Boris said in a sing-song voice.  
  
"No," Kai repeated.  
  
"Well if it doesn't bother you, then maybe I'll continue to do it," Boris paused and laughed here, "though. . .it looks like this one won't be able to handle much more." Boris delivered another kick which elicited another yelp from the background.  
  
"NO!" Kai cried, this time desperately.  
  
"Then answer my question. . .this time truthfully. It bothers you doesn't it?"  
  
Kai growled in defeat before bowing his head. ". . .yes," he answered finally.  
  
"Oh Kai! Don't you remember what I told you about having feelings? They only get in the way. You end up hurt when you let someone close to you. They'll only hurt you. Or it will give you unnecessary problems like having to rescue your 'friend' here. Ain't that right 'friend'?" Boris asked Kai's teammate.  
  
"Go. . .to hell," the second voice craoked out weakly. Boris laughed as Kai sighed in relief.  
  
"Your teammate is not very nice young Kai," Boris said.  
  
Kai smirked again happy that the attention was not focused on his relationship with his teammate anymore. "Yeah well, I can't imagine that you're the best host Boris," Kai shot back.  
  
"No I suppose not Kai. . .go left there," Bore instructed.  
  
Kai froze. He had just come to another fork and was going to the right when Boris ordered him the other way. "Why this way?" Kai asked curiously, "This only leads to the-'"  
  
"Because I said so Kai now move," Bores ordered.  
  
"Well that's not exactly motivation," Kai grumbled.  
  
"Okay then, also because I'll kill your little friend here if you don't," Boris threatened. Kai jumped and walked down the way that Boris told him to.  
  
"He's not my friend," Kai reminded Boris.  
  
"Oh my- are you still on that? Well then tell me young Kai, why does it bother you when I hurt him?"  
  
'Why DOES it bother me?' Kai thought to himself, 'or does it bother me? Until now I would have said it didn't bother me but now. . .I'm not so sure. . .' Kai pulled himself out of his thoughts. "It doesn't," Kai lied again.  
  
Kai heard no answer, but heard the spark of a lighter followed by al oud pain-filled, blood-curdling scream. "BORIS!" Kai growled. Boris laughed and stopped.  
  
"Well why Kai?"  
  
"I. . .I. . ." Kai stammered genuinely confused. How could he answer Boris truthfully if he himself did not know.  
  
"Admit it Kai, you feel for this boy as more than a teammate. He's your friend."  
  
"I. . ." Kai stammered 'I don't have friends!' Kai insisted to himself, but the words did not seem to want to form in his mouth, 'or do I?' Kai walked into a large room with a large beyblading dish in the middle. There were spotlights all around the plain gray dish and in the center of it also.  
  
"You care about him, and want to help him, and protect him," Boris' voice sounded from inside the room, "Because," Boris stepped out of the shadows, "you consider him a friend."  
  
"Boris," Kai growled narrowing his icy eyes, "Where's Tyson?"  
  
"Your teammate Tyson is there," Boris replied pointing to the far wall. Kai turned and took a sharp breath as he took in the beaten appearance of his teammate chained to the wall. The boy looked awful. His face was bruised and swollen and the burn mark showed clearly on his right arm. He hung limply in the chains and Kai wasn't sure if he was breathing.  
  
"HEY!" Kai yelled to Tyson sternly turning back to Boris, "You alright?"  
  
The boy stirred and opened his eyes slowly. "K..ai?" Tyson croaked out weakly.  
  
"You alright?" Kai repeated still staring straight at Boris.  
  
"I'm not dead yet," Tyson replied, "Kai, careful, he. . . took my."  
  
"Enough chit chat Kai," Boris snarled.  
  
Kai glared harder at Boris. "What do you want from me?" Kai demanded.  
  
"Your repentance," Boris answered.  
  
"Never," Kai spat pulling out Dranzer.  
  
"Very well then you die," Boris replied pulling out a familiar beyblade.  
  
"That doesn't belong to you," Kai snarled.  
  
"You're right, but I'm just borrowing it from your teammate to remind you why you shouldn't have friends," Boris sneered.  
  
"He's-"  
  
"That lie is getting old Kai," Boris snapped, "Let's go, winner takes all, if I win, I kill your friend and you belong to me again."  
  
"What about when I win?" Kai asked.  
  
"Then you take your friend and leave," Boris answered.  
  
"Let's go then," Kai growled.  
  
"So be it," Boris growled. The pair stared coldly at each other.  
  
"Ready?"  
  
"GO!"  
  
"LET IT RIP!"  
  
The beyblades clashed together in the center of the ring. Kai watched the beyblades duke it out. It was a pretty even fight. 'I'm not sure I can beat Boris,' Kai thought to himself, 'what if I can't do it?' A groan from his left caught his attention.  
  
Kai took in the beaten appearance of his teammate again. 'I can't let him down!' he thought to himself frantically, 'but why do I care? Is Boris right? Do I feel more for him than as just a teammate?' Kai winced as Boris' stolen beyblade bounced violently off Dranzer. 'No! I've never needed anyone! Why start now?!' Kai convinced himself.  
  
The stolen beyblade bounced more violently off of his Dranzer as Kai watched. Dranzer shook violently and threatened to stop spinning. 'NO! I can't lose! But I can't do this by myself! I do need my team, for more than just beyblading! I need them. . .to help me get better, not at beyblade but as a person. I've learned so much from all of them! I've finally learned how to smile and enjoy the art of beyblading, just like when I was younger. . .THAT'S what I've needed, and that's my relationship with them. . .they're. . .they're. . .'  
  
"This is almost over Young Kai," Boris laughed, "have you said goodbye to your 'teammate' yet?"  
  
Kai looked straight into Boris' eyes. "He's not my teammate. He's more than that, He's My FRIEND!" Kai yelled. Dranzer glowed more brilliantly. "GO DRANZER! FINISH HIM!" Kai screamed.  
  
Dranzer spun faster towards the stolen beyblade and they crashed together forming a bright explosion. "NOOOOO!" Boris screamed.  
  
When the light had died down, Kai let his arm fall down to his side from shielding his eyes. He looked into the center of the dish to see Dranzer still spinning. He grinned at Boris who was sitting up from where he was blown off his feet. "You lose Boris," Kai announced.  
  
"NO! I Can't lose!" Boris yelled.  
  
"Well you did. . .leave," Kai ordered coldly.  
  
"This is not over Kai," Boris growled.  
  
"I know," Kai answered quietly. Boris growled again and left the room. Kai jumped down into the dish and retrieved his beyblade and the stolen one. The stolen one was chipped in a couple of places, but it was nothing that Max and Kenny couldn't fix.  
  
Kai climbed back out of the dish and walked over to where his teamm- no, his friend was still chained to the wall. His friend was grinning weakly at him. "You alright?" Kai asked looking at him this time.  
  
"I'll be fine," Tyson answered weakly.  
  
"Oh," Kai replied, "Okay bye then," Kai turned and walked away.  
  
"HEY! WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!" Tyson demanded in a panic, "PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME HERE!" Tyson struggled wildly in his chains, doing more harm than good.  
  
Kai knew he had taken it too far. Not everyone could withstand the torture of Boris and still joke around about it. "Hey chill out Tyson, it's alright! I'm not going anywhere, I was. . .joking."  
  
Tyson blinked as Kai approached him. "You?"  
  
"Yes I do have a sense of humor you know," Kai snapped.  
  
"Funny," Tyson replied closing his eyes against his weariness, "I've never seen it."  
  
"Well it does exist."  
  
"Mmmm." Tyson replied with his eyes still shut.  
  
"Hey! Stay awake Tyson, we still gotta get out of this abbey."  
  
Tyson forced his eyes open. "I'm not sure I can walk Kai," Tyson replied quietly. To his surprise, Kai smiled at him.  
  
"That's what I'm here for. . .friend," Kai replied just as quietly.  
  
"Friend?" Tyson inquired.  
  
"Yes. . .if you want me around," Kai replied.  
  
Tyson grinned. "Finally," he muttered exhaustedly.  
  
Kai laughed and unchained Tyson's right arm. Tyson groaned as blood poured back into it. Tyson hadn't moved from this position since he was captured. The burn on his arm protested violently as it crinkled together. He hissed in pain. Kai took Tyson's arm in his hands gently and inspected the burn. "I'll put some cream on it when we get back to my place," Kai told him then unchained Tyson's other arm.  
  
Tyson didn't realize how weak he was until he began to fall. He thought he'd hit the ground until he realized he fell straight into Kai who had caught him. "Careful there," Kai said gently helping Tyson stand. Tyson was shaky and he closed his eyes as his vision fuzzed over.  
  
Kai offered Tyson a smile before pulling the boy's non-burned arm across his shoulders and Kai wrapped his arm around Tyson's waist. The two walked carefully out of the abbey, Kai supporting Tyson. 'I'm lucky, I get a second chance. . .I promise I will try harder,' Kai vowed to himself before chuckling.  
  
"What's so funny?" Tyson grumbled. Kai grinned at him.  
  
"Boris actually taught me something good after all. . .he opened my eyes to all I had around me. . .so in a way, I'm happy this happened."  
  
Tyson attempted a grin as he and Kai walked back to Kai's house together. Kai ready to start over, and Tyson ready to show him how.  
  
~*~*  
  
This started off as something random...and ended up turning out kinda cool. . .hmmm. . .well let me know what you think! :) reviews are always welcome. . .and if I get good reviews or one request for it, I will write a companion piece to this or a sequel. 


End file.
